D is for Daria
by fringeperson
Summary: Sequel to "Commitment Issues". Jane figures out something important and Daria invites her to be a co-host on her radio show. The show that is unnacountably popular at LHS. Disclaimer: Do Not Own Daria AT ALL. COMPLETE. No intention of writing a part 3. DT
1. Chapter 1

Jane was beginning to wonder what was going the hell on. No, scrap that, she was beginning to wonder how the hell she hadn't noticed it sooner and why she wasn't doing something more drastic about it now that she had discovered it.

Tom, _her boyfriend Tom_, had been slowly cold-shouldering her into being sick of him for some time it seemed. Their first week together was all over the shop, their first whole month had been pretty damn fun, so had their second and they had just about been getting into comfortable whatever-together-ness in the third, at least, she had thought so.

Turned out, it was not so.

What she had thought was Tommy boy's getting comfortable, was actually him getting disinterested. Sure, she was the wild art chick who had liberated him, however slightly, from the world of his family, but it seemed that she just wasn't _smart_ enough for him. Jerk. So she wasn't into reading all the intellectuals he and Daria could have long conversations about, so what? She was a Lane, not a Sloan or a Morgandorffer. She was smart _her_ way, rather than the obvious way that either of them were. Daria had the advantage over Tom in that area though, which got Jane smiling again.

Oh yes, Daria was smarter, more cynical and she knew how to push the other girls buttons to get a reaction. It was even better more recently, since darling, slightly uptight Daria had begun working at the radio station, _and_ dating one ridiculously laid back musician beginning to make good.

Really, it was enough to make Jane question if, after Tom shows up for their date and she tells him that they're over, whether she should give the big lug Jesse a go, or brave the dreaded Ruthiemer gene.

... did she really just think that? Damn.

Almost on cue, the doorbell rang. It was either Daria or Tom, and Jane was really hoping it was the former, she needed to get her head examined, and apart from Trent, Daria was the best person at it that she knew.

Keeping her thrice-pierced ear pricked, she heard Trent loaf to the door and the hinges wail slightly as the barrier swung open to permit entry.

"Oh, hey Tom. Janey's up in her room."

"Thanks."

Dammit. Oh well, she'd dump Tom _then_ get Daria to examine her mental functions.

---

Trent, from his position on the couch in the living room raised a wondering eyebrow when he began to hear the yelling.

It had started with a "What?" from Tom, so whatever was going on, he figured Janey was putting her foot down over something. When emotion and relationship details started being flung at high decibels, he decided it would be better to wait for Daria to arrive out front, rather than waiting inside where he could hear it all.

It didn't work. Jane had left her window open and the yelling was even clearer than it had been from the living room. He stared up at the open window with some distaste, wishing that one of them would realise they were broadcasting their relationship to the neighbourhood and shut it.

"Hey Trent, any idea what's going on?"

Trent jumped at Daria's words. When had she gotten there? She was standing beside him, staring up at Jane's window, backpack over one shoulder and combat boots on her feet.

"Hey Daria. No, but they've actually been at it for a while now. Don't know what happened."

The yelling died down at last, and Trent invited Daria into the house. Before they'd closed the door, Tom came down the stairs and just about charged the couple, headed only for the door.

"And don't come back!" Jane yelled from the top of the stairs, just before the door slammed shut. Spotting Trent and Daria by the door with as much of an expression as either of them were inclined to ever show, Jane smiled.

"Hey Daria, I'm glad you're here, I wanted to talk to you. If that's okay with you of course, Trent," Jane said, still taking delight in the fact that they had _finally_ gotten together.

"Just gimme a sec to kiss him hello first, and then I'll be right up," Daria promised.

Trent smirked and slid an arm around Daria's waist.

Jane smiled and waved to indicating she'd be in her room working on her next masterpiece until they were done making out.

---

"So you finally dumped the jerk from the family concerned with your tax bracket, and now you're questioning your taste in men," Daria summarised once Jane had explained the situation.

"Yep," Jane answered, adding an empratic nod to the monosyllabic expression.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, but I'd recommend working on your selection criteria," recommened the red head.

"Mm, good plan, but I seem to have only had relationships that _don't_ work, so how am I meant to make criterea for a _good_ boyfriend?"

"You may have a point there. Hey Jane, there was something I wanted to talk to you about as well," Daria said, abruptly changing the subject when she could no longer think of even vaguely useful answers.

"Shoot."

"It's about my radio show. It's great and all, but I think it would be better if I had someone to talk with, so that listeners are getting more than just _my_ cynicism. I've talked to the station manager, and she's agreed that me having a cohost, and maybe some guests, would add some variety to my show."

Jane's jaw had dropped and her eyes were bugging out slightly at this point, not quite believing that she was hearing what she thought she was hearing.

Daria allowed a small Mona Lisa smile to slip onto her face at Jane's expression.

"Daria!" It seemed to be all Jane could say when she finally found her voice.

"I'm giving you space to say embarrassing things to me on radio. I'm trusting you Lane, don't go overboard," she warned.

"Daria!" Jane exclaimed again, propelling herself across the bed they had been sitting on and wrapping her arms around her friend's neck.

"You can't do it if you kill me Lane," Daria wheezed out.

"Oops, my bad," Jane said, withdrawing and holding her up gesturing that she wouldn't do it again.

---


	2. Chapter 2

Welcome back to D for Detriment, I am D and if you are a regular listener then you'll know that management and I have been talking about the possibility of me getting a co-host. Well, having considered all the radio hosts that are already out there and for some reason no longer doing their show, I decided I'd rather introduce a new voice to radio. So, I'd like to welcome my friend J to the soundboard.

Thanks D. Wow, it feels weird calling you D rather than your real name. I honestly didn't think it would be as strange as it is.

That's the idea J. This way, we won't get so comfortable with our radio names that we accidentally continue using them in the real world. I don't think I could handle the excitement that would go with people recognising me from my radio show.

Aw, come on D! If you didn't want to be famous then why did you agree to do the radio show in the first place?

I was offered a very attractive bribe in the form of a regular pay cheque.

There's got to be more to it than just _that_ D.

Of course there is J, I just refuse to admit to any other reason. _Reason_, just by the way, is the name of this next song we'll be playing. It's by the emerging band Herpes, yes, you heard right they call themselves _Herpes_, and I reserve judgement.

That's probably for the best.

Just press the play button J.

Gotcha!

---

"Wow, D's got finally got that co-host!" Mac said, surprised. He and Jodie had taken to studying to D for Detriment ever since they'd accidentally tuned in a month ago.

"That's really cool, I wonder what this J is going to be like, she hasn't said much yet," Jodie answered, looking up from her history assignment for a moment.

"I'm sure she'll be great. D wouldn't let just anybody on her show after all," Mac pointed out.

Jodie laughed. "That's true. Did you catch the way she insulted all the other radio hosts out there?"

Mac chuckled. "Well, the ones that don't have their own shows any more, yeah, I caught the implication there."

"_Actually D, that wasn't too bad,"_ J's voice said through the radio.

"_I stand by what I said before J. I reserve judgement." _ Mac and Jodie laughed. They hadn't really been listening to the song, but it hadn't been unbearable.

"_The listeners can't see, but I'm shrugging my shoulders. Come **on**_ _D, that wasn't half bad."_

"_It was at least one quarter bad, J. If they're going to try to rhyme 'reason' with 'tease on', then I maintain that they need to keep working on it."_

Jodie and Mac laughed again before they got on with their history and algebra.

---

When she walked into school the day after her first show with Daria on D for Detriment, Jane was surprised at how many people were talking about the new co-host.

"J was really cool!"

Jane stopped. She did _not_ just hear Brittany say that.

"I know babe. The way she made the joke about the two of them made up one DJ was really funny," Kevin said, apparently just as pumped about the show as Brittany was squeaking for it.

"I told you not to make that joke," Daria said quietly.

"Thought it was best to get it over with quickly, like ripping off a band-aid," Jane defended with a shrug.

Daria sighed. "Yeah, I know, just avoid bad puns like that from now on, okay? I don't want to give the impression that I'm catering to listeners like Brittany and Kevin."

"You got it. Frankly, that scares me. I didn't realise so many people in our school were your listeners," Jane said, suppressing a shudder.

"You haven't seen the fan-mail yet," Daria said.

"Hey Daria, what's up?" Jodie asked, walking up.

"Not much, just discussing D for Detriment," she said, omitting that she was the host, but being curious enough about Jodie's reaction to not lie to the point of avoiding her show completely.

"Oh, you listen to it too? It's really great huh?" Jodie was clutching her book to her chest in a vaguely excited manner now.

"Clearly you think so," Daria answered.

"Don't mind Daria, she just refuses to admit to liking anything that seems even remotely popular, and this D chick clearly has a lot of followers," Jane smirked.

Jodie laughed a little. "Yeah, you're really not a follower, are you Daria?"

"Not if there's an acceptable alternative," Daria agreed.

"I guess there's no point in asking you to sign this petition asking D to come and speak at our school then?" Jodie said, lowering her book from her chest to reveal that it was actually a clipboard with a list of signatures on it.

"Speak about what?" Daria asked, determined to get the jump on this thing so she could think of a really good reason to turn down the whole Lawndale High population that appeared to have signed the sheet of paper.

Jane looked at the form, just as curious. The idea of becoming popular didn't sit well with her. Being an almost anonymous radio voice was one thing, being recognised by her peers was another.

"Looks like you're asking D to talk about what motivates her, but I thought she talked about that kind of thing all the time any way? Wait a minute, Mr DiMartino signed this!?" she exclaimed, jumping away.

"Yeah. When he found out what I was doing, he insisted that he sign as well. Big fan, apparently," explained Jodie, a slightly nervous chuckle in her voice as she said that. "But D doesn't talk about what motivates her. She gives opinions on things, but she doesn't talk about things like why she does the show, or what she wants for the future or anything."

"You actually want to know that stuff," Daria deadpanned.

"Of course. D's a role-model for a lot of people. _Will_ you sign?" Jodie asked.

"No thanks," Daria answered. "Jane?"

"Nah, not for me either. Don't get me wrong, I think D is pretty cool too, but I had my fill of radio personalities when those 'Manic in the Morning' guys were parked out front of the school for a week," Jane added, going so far as to stuff her hands in her pockets.

Jodie sighed. "Well, I'll see you guys around."

"You were saying something about fan-mail?" Jane asked.

"At the studio."

---


	3. Chapter 3

"Wow, you weren't kidding," Jane said, staring at the mail bag that had _D for Detriment_ written in red type across it. It looked heavy, to say nothing of how full it was. One lump in the side even looked like a parcel, rather than a regular letter.

"And that's just the old-fashioned kind. There's a website where people can write in online too," Daria said, opening the mail bag and grabbing a few letters off the top.

"You actually read all of these?" Jane demanded, shocked.

"Amazing as it seems, yes. I have a gallon drum out the back of the house that I burn a lot of them in, but I do actually read them all. I wouldn't like it if someone passed over what I had to say, so I show the same courtesy by not passing over what other people have to say to me. I even read the hate mail," Daria explained.

"You get hate mail? Daria, I'm surprised at you!" Jane joked, scooping up a couple of letters herself and looking at them.

"Usually from people like Tom's parents, saying that they don't approve of my attitude towards something that they deem important," Daria said, clearly not bothered by the mail. "I have a standardised letter that I send back, explaining that if they don't like what I'm saying, then they are free to listen to someone else saying what they want to hear. It's in the constitution after all, that I am free to say whatever the hell I want."

"Damn right! Hey, can I read some of this stuff?" Jane asked, holding up an envelope to the light and squinting at it.

"Go ahead, there's more than there usually is, so some of this is probably addressed to you anyway," Daria said, checking the letters in her hand. "Here, this one's addressed to you," she said, handing over the letter.

"Wow! I have fan mail! I'm already doing better than Trent!" Jane exclaimed, holding the letter high and twirling around a bit before ripping into it.

"Well, the Spiral is still recording. They don't make their début until next week." Hopefully you won't get fan mail to the house. If they fans find out where you live, you're gonna have a hell of a time."

"That's why your fan mail comes to the studio?" Jane asked.

"No, that's a business thing. The persona D is joint property of myself and the studio, and by the fan mail being sent here, it gives them a good idea of how popular the show is, and what sort of music they should schedule for my show. It's all feedback. That my parents don't have to deal with the whole mailbag just for me, and that fans can't find me, is just a bonus."

---

Anthony DiMartino was sitting by the radio, marking history essays as he listened to what he suspected was the only radio personality to actually _have one._

"_Well, management has mentioned to me recently that, since I get so much fan mail, I should probably respond to some of it on air,"_ D responded to J's question of what had been happening lately.

"_You mean pick out a letter from that big ol' sack and give your honest, genuine, cynical response to whatever was written inside? I thought management knew you better than that by now."_

Anthony chuckled. He had sent in a couple of letters himself, when he could sneak the stamps off of Ms Li's desk.

"_You would think. It's alright though, just this once."_

"_Hey, come on D, it could be fun enough that you'll want to do it again all on your own."_

"_Doubtful J, but we'll see. The jury is still out."_

---

Jodie and Mac put aside their homework for a moment, hoping D would answer the petition they'd sent in for her to come and talk to LHS.

"_So, where's the mail bag for you to pick out a nice random letter to answer on the air-waves?"_ J asked, evil anticipation in her voice.

"_Behind you,"_ D answered.

"_Ooh, does that mean I get to pick out the first one?"_

"_Sure."_

There was a brief pause and the sound of paper being rifled through and ripped open.

"_Letter number one! Dear D, I love your show. Please go out with me, I've enclosed a picture, your adoring fan -"_

"_And for the sake of their anonymity, we aren't going to read out who sent that," _D interrupted. Jodie and Mac laughed, pretending to themselves that it was from Up-Chuck.

"_Do you wanna see the picture D?"_

"_No thanks J. You know perfectly well that I've got a boyfriend with whom I am almost unreasonably happy, so why bother?"_

"_So there you have it, sorry listeners, D is taken, I'm the single one. Shall I pick out the next letter?"_

"_That's the way it goes for the show today."_

"_Okay, this one I think we can say who it's from, since it's from a group, rather than a single person."_

Jodie and Mac held their breaths and leaned closer to the radio.

---

Ms Li had the radio turned on while she looked at the latest security catalogues. The public rejection of a love letter had made her snort out her little laugh while she turned a page, but she was almost lost to the sounds issuing from the little black box as her spectacled eyes latched onto the latest system for electrical fencing.

"_Let me see it. Oh, from Lawndale High School."_

That snapped her out of her security catalogues. HER establishment had been named on the radio program. Oh, the publicity!

"_Requesting that I appear and talk about what motivated me to become a radio host, and where I want to go in the future."_

"_Got signed by a lot of people. Looks like you're popular at LHS, D."_

"_That's too bad, cause I don't do public appearances. I do radio, where nobody sees my face but the people I work with. I am called D so that nobody knows who I really am. I like it that way."_

"_Besides, I don't think anybody has ever liked high school. Certainly not making a show of themselves while there."_

---

Jodie sagged at that.

"Hey, it's no big deal, right?" Mac said, trying to comfort her. "If she'd come, you'd have had to write a welcome speech, tried to make Lawndale look good, and all that stuff you don't like doing anyway."

Jodie smiled faintly.

"Thanks Mac."

"_So while I refuse to speak about myself in front of anything more than a microphone, I will still answer the questions posed. I got into radio because I was in the right place, talking to the right person, and it sounded right for me. For now I see myself continuing with the show with my friend J in a regulated manner. At some point in the future, I may have guests on the show, but that is likely to be far future. I have not approached any celebrities, and none have approached me. J, the next letter."_

"Well, she answered my questions anyway," Jodie sighed. "It would have been really cool to meet her though."

---


	4. Chapter 4

"Ooh, the next one's addressed to me!" Jane said, holding the letter high above her head.

Daria smirked. "Careful that it's not a bomb. Want me to read it, and then you'll respond?"

"Sounds fair, I've read the last two after all," Jane said, handing over the letter.

"Dear J, we loved that joke you made about you and D being DJs. You're really cool, and I can't wait to hear more from you on D's show. Have a free pie on us, from K and B." Daria glared at Jane over the letter. "What did I tell you about that gag."

"Not to make it. But it's done now, and over with. Thanks for the pizza voucher guys. I'd better hide it from my brother though, or maybe just use it immediately. Can we get pizza delivered to the studio D?" Jane asked, going from momentarily bashful to excited about free food very quickly.

"Only if you want to share it with the bosses as well," Daria answered. "Get it on your way home or something."

"So, do we move onto the next letter now, or is it time for music?" Jane asked, mentally taking Daria's advice to collect the pizza on the way home.

"Music. I've heard this one before and not hated it, so here's Black Guardian by Ice Wings," Daria said indicating that Jane could now press the button.

"Start the music!" the ravenette exclaimed.

While the music played, Daria and Jane turned to the mail bag again, and started fishing around for a really good one to rip into. If Daria couldn't completely smash _somebody_, apart from that guy asking for a date, then her day would not be complete.

Just a half-minute into their search, Jane stopped.

"I think I've found a winner," she said, handing over the letter.

"From the president of the fashion club herself. Will you do the honours of reading it, Jane? Slowly. I want to savour this one."

The two friends shared something akin to an evil smile.

---

Trent was laughing sporadically as he and the band were setting up for a gig in Lawndale Park. It was their first performance since they'd gotten the recording contract, and they'd have their CD for sale with all the drinks and deep-fried, possibly cheese-covered food.

The radio was on to Daria's show, and the reason why the band paused in their setting up every now and then to laugh.

Trent had especially appreciated the way Daria had treated the love confession and request of some random guy to go out on a date. She'd just officially declared herself taken, and it made him feel all warm inside. He wasn't sure how he stood on Jane letting the world know _she_ was available though, maybe he'd have to talk to her about that.

The music finished and Daria's voice came back. Trent could almost not get enough of the sound of her voice.

"_We're back, and we picked out another letter. J, would you do the honours?"_

"_To D, from the president of the Lawndale High Fashion Club. Ooh, you just got approached by a celebrity D."_

"_No, I got approached by someone who thinks big of themselves. Keep reading J."_

"_This is the second letter from Lawndale D, we're gonna have to pick one from somewhere else next."_

"_I've got one from Iowa ready and waiting. Just finish reading this letter first."_

"_Can I summarise? Basically this person wants to know your favourite places to shop, your opinion on eggplant over leaf as a colour, and how you deal with people who seem to refuse acknowledge their place as lower than yourself on the ladder of popularity."_

The whole band snickered in readiness for Daria ripping into this excessively shallow person. Jesse and Nick plugged in their last cables and Max settled a cymbal in place while Trent turned up the radio a little.

"_I get my clothes from the salvation army when I go shopping at all. The clothes are perfectly wearable, and I have my own style rather than following what is dictated by those who care about what's hot or not. Eggplant is a food that I don't particularly like, and a leaf is something that makes trees look nice. As far as colours go, I like green. What about you J?"_

"_There's this alternative fashion place that I really like. The chick running the shop makes the clothes herself from fabric that she got from people she knows in all these third world countries, so she's giving them a good deal on the material. My favourite colour is red, but only because black is a shade rather than a colour. Hey, you haven't answered her last question yet."_

The band smiled. This was going to be good. Daria on the popularity hierarchy, talking to someone who believed themselves to be at the top of it.

"_How do I deal with people who think they're more better than me? Oh, that's easy. You should be able to answer that one J. I have two standard responses when directly faced with this behaviour."_

"_Ignore them, and if they won't be ignored, then say something that's going to take them a week to figure out. Usually insulting, but on the verge of pitying their stupidity. Unless they're asking something specific which you can then answer and send them on their mindless little way."_

"_Correct. People who think of themselves as at the top of the social ladder usually get to be that way by being the thinnest, the prettiest, the best dressed, or the most sociable. I have no problem with those who became popular by being friendly, they're usually genuinely nice people and great people to know. These people are also the least likely to belittle anybody, ever, without criticising themselves in the same breath."_

Trent had a feeling Daria was specifically thinking about that chick Jodie. He'd heard her and Jane discussing the over-achiever a few times. He wondered what the coolest girl he'd ever known would say about the other things she'd mentioned.

"_Now, my body-mass to height ratio is right in the middle of healthy, so I'm not competing to be the thinnest. I wear glasses of the hide-my-whole-face variety, so trying to be the prettiest in such circumstances is pointless. As already mentioned, I buy my clothes second hand, and don't care about being best dressed."_

"_In short, D doesn't give a damn about being popular, so why should she care if people act like they're more popular than her? After all, there's a difference between being more popular, and being a better person. Right D?"_

"_Right J. I hope that's all clear for you, fashion club president. Now, I shall read the letter from Iowa. Dearest, most wonderful J."_

"_Oh god."_

"_Still saying you're single?"_

"_I think maybe I'm suddenly going to go on a date with the toilette, and once I've cleansed myself I'll see if the base player in my brother's band is up for pizza after the gig tonight."_

Jesse became the sudden focus for the other three members of the band. Green eyes bugging and jaw hanging open as he stared at the radio. When he noticed the way Trent was looking at him, he swallowed and tried to chuckle.

"_You're not desperate, you just have a crush on that sweet ol' lug. The letter: a bunch of my friends and me have started up a club in honour of how much we adore the sound of your voice. Surely anything you do must be beautiful and pure. We all love you. Sincerely, the president of the J appreciation association."_

"_Surely anything I do must be beautiful and pure? Is there some way we can put photos of my art up on the website so that people can see just how twisted I really am?"_

"_Talk to the boss. Well, time for more music. I pulled a few strings and got this track before it's officially released. The band is performing tonight in Lawndale park to promote their first CD, before they head off on a tour up the west coast. This is Mystik Spiral and their song Little Black Dress."_

Trent smiled fondly at the radio. He really loved Daria, and he'd written that song for her. Now she was helping them out by plugging their show tonight in the middle of her show. He was still going to have to talk to Jesse about the responsibility that would come with him dating Janey.

---


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey Daria, you made it!" Trent called happily, coming off stage and wrapping his arms around the auburn haired love of his new life.

"Since I came to this crummy town, have I ever missed a Spiral gig?" Daria demanded, pushing herself up onto her toes to kiss him, her arms around his neck. "Sorry I stole one of your roadies for my radio show this afternoon, by the way."

Trent laughed, coughed off to the side, and smiled. "That's cool, we managed just fine anyway, and we had your show on to keep us company while we set up, so I didn't have to miss you too much."

"Are you getting mushy on me? If you are then I'm just going to have to attack you with Quinn's leg wax, I hope you know."

Trent smirked and raised an eyebrow at her, which allowed for more innuendo than if he had said anything.

"Jane's here too," Daria said, turning away to hide her blush.

"Good, I need to talk to her about some things she said on the show today, and thanks for giving the concert a shout-out. I think your recommendation helped bolster the number of people here tonight," said Trent, giving Daria a last peck on her forehead before going to look for Jane.

---

Mystik Spiral was due to head out for the beginning of their tour first thing the next morning, so once Trent had seen Jane and Jesse to a satisfactory resolution in his eyes – conditions placed on relationship expectations, behaviours, appropriate treatment between his best friend and his little sister and so on – he went to find Daria and steal her away for the rest of the night.

He found her out by his car.

"You weren't wearing that before," he commented, wrapping his arms around her. She was wearing the dress again, the one he'd bought for her.

"Well, my day had me go from school to the radio station, then a very quick detour to my house before coming here. I didn't have the time to deal with what Quinn might have had to say about my show today. I got changed while you sorted out the love birds," answered Daria. "After all, it's a special occasion."

Trent's smile faded slightly.

"Yeah, Mystik Spiral is leaving on tour in the morning," he said as he leant against the side of his car next to Daria

"That's a _good_ thing, remember?" Daria prodded gently, poking his shoulder before letting him wind his arm around her back.

"For the band as a whole, yeah. For relationships, not so much. I'm only going to hear your voice on your radio show or over the phone. I won't be able to hold you like this for at least a month, longer if the tour does well and gets extended." He pulled her a little closer when he said that.

"And even if I were out of school, I'd still have the show keeping me here. For now at least. I haven't been going quite long enough to be able to have a holiday yet," Daria added with a sigh, leaning into him.

"Kinda wish we didn't have to go on tour," Trent mumbled into Daria's hair.

"Oh no you don't. You're not going to spend our last night before your first tour wishing you didn't have to go." Daria poked his stomach this time. "We're going to go out, have a great time, and make sure you know what's waiting for you when you get back. Letting a groupie service you still counts as cheating on me, if you were wondering."

"How about if I jerk myself off to your show?" Trent asked, that smoky voice of his dropping into that deeper tone that always made Daria shiver with lust and delight.

"That's fine, if you can do it without feeling disturbed over Jane's voice being there at the same time."

Trent pulled back, a grimace on his face. "Phone sex it is," he said.

"A great way for us to ease into that type of intimacy," Daria agreed with a slightly cynical and sarcastic chuckle.

Trent smiled and pulled Daria to him again. It had taken a lot of time to get her used to the idea of letting someone else into her personal space this way. Her exception to the rule of no physical contact had been dancing, but once off the dance floor, she had been shy of even holding his hand.

In all the time he had been getting Daria more at ease with physical contact, Trent had made little to no sexual movements, and he had been very careful to make sure it wasn't just him imposing his own want to touch her, thereby being pushy and changing Daria. Rather, he was just drawing Daria out of her shell, giving her the space to know that he could be trusted with her. He didn't ever want to do anything that might send her running from him, or drive her away.

"Let's get out of here. It's our last night before your grand tour starts, and I really just want to spend it making sure you know what's waiting for you when you get back," Daria said, finally standing up away from Trent's hold on her.

"Sure thing Daria." He knew already though.

---

There was no sex that night, just as there hadn't been any other night. There was a lot of snuggling though, and a bit of dancing after the pizza was gone. They both went back to the Lane house and shared Trent's bed, but nothing beyond spooning and a few kisses occurred.

Daria wasn't ready for anything more yet, and Trent knew and completely respected that. He swapped out his clothes for softer versions that looked almost the same, while Daria got changed into her Einstein t-shirt and a pair of old shorts that she slept in.

When morning came and Trent's alarm clock went off – Daria had set it the night before – the pair woke up in a slightly blissful state.

"Good morning," Trent whispered into Daria's neck as he lay a string of kisses along her jugular.

Daria hummed in delight before rolling over in his arms and giving him a peck on the lips. "Good morning yourself. You have to get up now, you know."

"I know. You're not allowed to go looking at other guys while I'm away, you know. Though if you do find someone better I expect to be notified immediately, rather than finding out when I get back," Trent said, pressing his nose into Daria's hair and taking in her scent.

"Isn't anyone better, Jane's the one with the roaming eye. I'll keep her out of trouble though," Daria promised.

---

"So, for the sake of appearances, we might as well be single again," Jane observed to Daria as they walked together Pizza King after school the day after Mystik Spiral had left on their tour.

"Except that you're not allowed to get pizza with any of the guys who approach you when we're hanging out in the Zen," Daria said.

"We never go to the Zen except when the Spiral is playing anyway," Jane pointed out. "The place is a dive after all."

"Better than McGrundies," Daria said after a moment of contemplation.

"True, but the Harpies will now be dominating the stage at both places," Jane said, following Daria through the sliding door.

"In that case, it's simply a matter of any parties or functions we might be invited to or required to attend."

"And avoiding young Thomas," Jane added suddenly stopping short and grabbing onto Daria's arm, pointing at the young man waving at them from a booth, a pizza practically untouched on the table before him.

"You don't want to see your ex, I take it?" Daria said quietly.

"Let's just get our pizza to go. We have a show to do anyway. I don't mind exposing my opinion of him to the whole country."

_---_


	6. Chapter 6

It was a rare thing. The teachers were all gathered in the staff room, quietly marking homework with very little complaint. All the teachers had quiet little smiles on their faces. For O'Neil alone was this normal behaviour, but since the staff radio was on D for Detriment, the faculty seemed able to get along well enough while they suffered through their various homework papers by the many brain-dead or barely-passing students of Lawndale High.

Even Anthony was calm, with a small, serene smile on his face as he listened to his favourite show.

D was explaining her stance on how the world would be different today if it had been the more scientifically advanced Arabian or Chinese nations to discover America, rather than the countries with greater interest in money and what were now termed 'the Arts'; countries like France, Spain and Britain.

"_You mean apart from we'd look different and be speaking Chinese or Arabic instead of English?"_ asked J.

"_Indeed. I hold that it is entirely likely that if the Arabs or Chinese had come here first, the natives would have been treated better, and today's society would be less materialistic."_

"_You can't prove that."_

"_No."_

"_Besides, China has just as awesome an artistic history as France or Spain, and the Arab states have some of the most intricate ancient mosaics still in almost pristine condition."_

The debate continued for the entirety of the show, music breaks not withstanding, and was ultimately left unresolved regarding what would have really happened. Nevertheless, a few very interesting thoughts were raised by the radio voices.

Anthony stretched languidly as the show rounded out. Perfect timing. He'd marked all of the freshmen's assignments, as well as Kevin Thompson's attempt at stringing words together. That boy... he honestly hoped that another freak accident, like the one that had been dealt to Tommy Sherman, happened to _this_ quarterback.

Of course, if he voiced such an opinion, he knew the only person who even might agree with him would be Ms Barch. The other teachers, apart from Ms Li, were too nice or too wet to say or think such a thing without hemming and hawing and dancing around the bushes.

He could still fondly remember the time Kevin had walked into class with that fake arrow through his head. It had felt so good to have his hands around the idiots neck.

"I'm amazed," commented Janet Barch as she turned off the radio. "I never thought a man would be smart enough to know a good radio show when it hit him in the face, but you seem to have found a winner, DiMartino."

"Thank you Ms Barch. Now, if you will all excuse me, it's time I left. There is a chicken waiting at home for me to pluck, gut and roast it."

"Oh my," gasped Timothy O'Neil quietly. The whole show had worried him slightly, and worried him a little more because of how he had enjoyed it. Anthony's vivid description of his meal preparations was just a little bit too much for the poor man.

"Oh, suck it up and grow a pair, skinny."

---

When Daria arrived home from the studio, she was more than unhappy to see Tom, his car parked right out front of her house and him leaning against the door while he waited on the pavement. In a bid to get the silent message across, she started cutting across the grass to her front door rather than following the regulated grey concrete slabs along the side of the road all the way to the minor path that would lead to the same destination.

"Hey Daria, could we talk?" Tom called.

It was not to be, but she was near enough to the door that she could just go in without talking to him and only be vaguely rude. Still, if she could get rid of him with one conversation, then all the better. She really didn't like him, and she liked even less the weird habit he'd picked up of hanging around her.

"Make it fast," she ordered, turning slightly and folding her arms. She wasn't budging from where she was except to move further away from him.

"Want to sit in my car while we talk?" he offered, hand on the catch.

"No."

His hopeful little face fell visibly. Rich jerk-wad was easier to read than the news paper. She knew that if she'd gotten in that car he'd have tried to kiss her. Not about to happen.

"Oh, okay. Um, I was wondering if you wanted to go and see a movie with me some time. Maybe that French film you suggested last month, the one about the revolution."

Daria glared at the presumptuous prick.

"No."

"Any chance of a poly-syllabic answer indicating that we might get together at any point in the next week and do something?"

"No."

"Aw, come on Daria, I thought we were getting to be friends," implored the slimy Sloan.

"No. I was polite to you because Jane asked me to be."

Satisfied that she had settled the matter, Daria turned back to the door and let herself in, closing it firmly behind her.

---

Daria was fortunate enough to have the house to herself for a while. Quinn was out on a date, and Jake had a business dinner, to which he had dragged Helen for moral support. Her homework was done, and she had the portable phone in her room.

She smiled when it rang.

"Hello?" she said. Just in case it wasn't who she thought it was, best to not answer like it definitely would be.

"_Hey Daria, I was wondering -"_

"Get a clue Tom," she said fiercely, hanging up quickly.

Two minutes later, it rang again. Sufficient time for her to calm down.

"Hello?"

"_Hey Daria. Guys, I'd appreciate some privacy."_

"Hey Trent," Daria said, sighing in content as she relaxed back onto her bed. "How's the tour going?"

"_It's going real good Daria. I miss you though. I miss you a lot."_

Daria smiled and kicked her boots off. "I miss you too. At least I've got your CD to listen to."

"_Yeah, and the whole band tunes into your show every day. Jess misses Janey as well."_

"Do I need to pass that on, or does she know?"

"_I think he's called the house every night after the gig is over. He's starting the relationship as a distance one, not easy."_

"Is that why I haven't heard from you until now, Jesse hogging the phone?" Daria asked.

"_Pretty much. I commandeered it while he was on the John. I missed being able to talk to you."_

"Smooth. How much longer is the tour? I've got a problem I don't think I can solve without you around. Jane's been helping, but it really needs your special touch."

"_Woah, you haven't been making out with my sister because you miss me that much, have you?"_ Trent laughed.

Daria chuckled. "No, but Tom has been hanging around, trying to get me to go out with him while you're not here. He comes around every other night, asking me out to a movie or for pizza, or talking about a reading somewhere."

"_Need me back so that he can properly understand that you're spoken for, huh?"_

"Yeah, it's like he thinks that if you're not around then our relationship doesn't matter."

"_He's an idiot. You're good at ignoring idiots."_

"Thanks Trent."

"_No problem. Now, didn't I promise phone sex before I left?"_

"Yes, I believe you did."

---


	7. Chapter 7

Between the show, school, homework, and avoiding Tom, Daria's writing had been suffering slightly. When Trent came back, which he promised would only be another week or so the last time he called, she at least wouldn't have to worry about Tom. On the other hand, she'd be spending time with Trent, which meant that time saved was still time spent.

She really wanted to work on that novel, but it looked like all she had time for these days was a quick short story between assignments, robbing her of a little bit of sleeping time. She needed the purely creative outlet though. The radio show was good, but it wasn't the same as writing.

That she was inexplicably blocked right now and couldn't get anything to come out wasn't helping.

A gentle knock on the door caused her to release her hold on her hair and lift her head from her hands.

"Daria, can I come in?"

"Hey Mom, sure. What's up?" Daria deliberately turned away from her computer screen and focused on Helen.

"I noticed you've been a bit stressed lately. Do you want to talk to me about it?" Helen offered, sitting on Daria's bed.

A small knot of tension loosened slightly at the base of her skull, and Daria recognised that as relief well enough to know that talking to Helen about this just might help.

---

The Fashion Club were assembled in Quinn's room to discuss the recent surge of out-of-season clothes worn by the Lawndale High population.

"It is simply unacceptable. I have seen girls wearing clothes from last year," Sandi stated, a frown slowly etching its way permanently onto her face.

"Burr," said Tiffany.

"Very bad," agreed Stacy.

"What I want to know is who started it? There _must_ be some way of correcting this atrocity," Quinn demanded.

"Indeed," agreed Sandi. "However, I believe I know the source."

"What is it Sandi?" Stacy asked, bright-eyed and eager to know.

"I wrote a letter to that D person on the radio, asking her views on popularity and fashion, since she has such a following," Sandi said.

"Oh yeah, I heard the guys talking about her show the other week, so I tuned in as well to see what all the fuss was about. J is really funny, and D is so smart, but she makes all that stuff sound interesting," Stacy said, babbling slightly.

Quinn resisted the urge to cry. It seemed like the only person in the fashion club who didn't listen to Daria's show – apart from her – was Tiffany.

"Oh yeah, really interesting."

Scratch that. Quinn _was_ the only one who didn't listen to Daria's dumb radio show.

"Stacy, Tiffany, as I was _saying_. I wrote in, and D said that she didn't care about being popular and bought her clothes from second hand shops or some small time boutique that sold hand-made clothes."

"Oh no!" Stacy said, one hand on her face and the other on her chest. She was a picture of disbelief. "D caused all the girls to forgo their fashion sense?"

"That's what it looks like," Sandi confirmed.

"Does that mean we should _stop listening_ to the show?" Tiffany asked.

"I don't know, but something _must_ be done."

---

"Maybe you shouldn't try reading every piece of fan mail that you get, sweetie. After all, that does take up a lot of time," suggested Helen sympathetically.

"Perhaps, but I do it because I know how I'd feel if I was passed over because the person I was writing to didn't have the time to read what I'd written," Daria objected weakly.

"Then why not publicly thank all your listeners for their support, and their letters, but admit that the task of reading all their mail has become something you just can't do any more, and suggest that they, what was it dear? Post on website, is that right?"

Daria could tell Helen was trying to be helpful, trying to find a way to cut down on Daria's load without cutting anybody off. She smiled slightly.

"Thanks Mom, that's a really good idea."

Helen's smile was less stifled. "Daria, supporting you and Quinn is my task as your mother. If I can't help you solve a problem now and then, I'm not doing it right."

---

Trent hadn't been able to get the phone since that one night he'd gotten it while Jesse was in the men's room. He knew it was important that Jess called Janey, but he was sure she'd understand that _he_ had a need to call Daria now and then as well.

He was just about to break when Jesse tapped him on the shoulder and held out the phone for him.

"Jane said she wanted to talk to her big bro for a change," Jesse said with a smile.

"Thanks man," he said, accepting the receiver.

"_Hey Trent,"_ said the familiar voice of Jane.

"Hey Janey, how's it been?"

"_Quiet, oddly enough. Guess I got used to the sound of your snoring, or your practising, or whatever. What about you?"_

"Not too bad. The gigs are great, and I think we're getting a real good following, but I miss being home."

"_You miss Lawndale? Trent, I may have to question your sanity, or at least ask if you've taken to smoking something."_

"Naw, nothing like that. It's just that home is where you and Daria are. Kinda miss my own bed too, but mostly you and Daria."

"_No love lost on Monique huh?"_

"Uh-uh."

"_I've got a share of fan mail to read from D for Detriment to get back to, I just wanted to say hi to ya before I got stuck into it. Don't hang up though, Daria wants a word."_

Trent just about lit up. He could hear Jane tell Daria to just take the phone into his room, and Trent likewise moved into a room where the rest of the band weren't. The bathroom for choice, and since the phone was chordless, it wasn't a problem.

"_Trent?"_ Daria's dulcet voice echoed through the line, and was it just him or did she sound like someone nervous and hopeful at the same time, like she wasn't sure he was really there, but it would be really, really good if he was.

"Daria. Dammit I've missed you so much," he said, closing his eyes to picture her in his mind while he listened to her talking to him. He wished desperately that he could hold her right now.

"_I've missed you too."_

"Is Tom still bugging you?"

"_Not since Helen threatened him with a restraining order. Apparently such things look bad on college applications."_

Trent laughed at that one. "You're mom's pretty cool Daria."

"_Sometimes she can be, yes, but my Aunt Amy is still the most tolerable of Grandma's daughters."_

"Hope I can meet her some time. Hey Daria -"

"_I'm lying on your bed already, Trent. My boots are off, my eyes are closed, and I just want to listen to what you want to do to me for a while."_

Trent moaned. Before he'd left on the tour, Daria wouldn't be comfortable even sitting on his bed while he finished practising in the basement. "Dammit Daria." At least the tour was nearly over. Just five more stops before they headed back to Lawndale.

---


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey Daria, can we talk?"

Daria looked up in surprise to find Quinn, of all people, standing in her doorway, looking more nervous and confused than pissed off, which was odd considering whose door she was standing in.

"Quinn? What's up?" Daria put aside her fan mail – she was still going through some of the older bags, even if it had mostly transferred to the web page now – and gave her sister her full attention. As much as she may dislike Quinn, that didn't mean she would turn her away when she came to her for something.

"It's about your show," she admitted, coming fully into the room and standing by Daria's bed.

"No, you can't be a guest."

"That's not it. It's -"

"I also refuse to revoke what I said about where I shop," Daria cut in, guessing where the conversation might actually be headed.

"I didn't expect you would. The fashion club has decided that since we can't do anything on a large enough scale to get people back to buying fashionable clothes, we're just going to have to be the best dressed on our own."

"How self-sacrificing of you. So what _do _you want?"

"It's about that guy who was hanging around."

"You are referring to the jerk-wad who calls himself Tom Slone?" Daria asked.

"Beat up car, waited around for you to come home every other day to ask you out?" Quinn said. She'd never learned his name.

"Tom Slone," Daria confirmed.

"Right. Why didn't you go out with him?"

"Apart from the fact that he's Jane's ex-boyfriend, I don't like the guy and I'm dating Trent," Daria answered.

"But Trent isn't here to know," Quinn pointed out.

"Did you miss the part where I said that I don't _like_ Tom?" Daria asked.

"No, I got that part when the whole restraining order thing started to come up. I guess I'm mostly wondering why you bother being loyal to a guy when he isn't around."

"Foreign concept, Quinn? I know you have three guys permanently on stand-by waiting to take you out."

"Joey, Jeffey and Jamie?" Quinn said, confused again. "I'm not dating any of them. I told them that ages ago."

"Yet they continue to try. Furthermore, they continue to try in competition with each other, attempting to outdo the one who spoke before in hopes of gaining your favour. What's worse is that even though you claim to have turned them all down, you continue to encourage their behaviour."

Quinn sat down beside Daria on the bed.

"I do, don't I?"

"Quinn, what's this really about?"

"Um, my tutor, actually."

---

"I don't think extending the tour again is a good idea," Trent said, when the band sat down with the manager they had been assigned by the record company.

"Why not? You're doing really good right now."

"I just want to walk through my _own_ door and see my little sister and my girlfriend sitting on the couch watching TV again," Trent explained.

Jesse nodded. "This tour has already gone from being just the west coast to being along the Canadian boarder and down the east coast as well. I really want to just skip Texas and go back to Lawndale right now."

"Mostly just farming states in the middle anyway," Nick pointed out.

"Home sounds good to me too," joined in Max.

"Besides, we need a little down time to write some new stuff. There's a limited number of times we can perform what we have before we need a break from it," Trent finished.

"Alright, you guys win. I guess I did push you guys a bit much for your first tour," conceded the manager.

Trent smiled while Nick and Max cheered, and Jesse ran for the phone. At last, they were finally, definitely on their way home.

"I'm coming Daria," he whispered.

---

Jane ran through the halls of Lawndale High, desperately searching for her best friend. Spying the flash of green, she picked up her pace just that little bit more for the final stretch.

"Daria! Daria, they're on their way back!" She yelled.

"Jane? What?"

"Mystic Spiral! They're really on their way home this time. They talked to their road manager last night and the tour's over. They'll be back either late tomorrow or early the day after! Daria they're coming home!" Jane cried, wrapping her friend up in a delighted hug.

"Alright, I get it, enough with the public displays of affection," Daria said, though she was just as excited as Jane.

"Hey, what's all the fuss?" Jodie. How that chick had such perfect timing, Daria wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"My brother's band, Mystik Spiral, has finally finished their tour and they're coming home," Jane explained, moving from Daria to embrace Jodie as well.

"That's great," she said, patting Jane on the back awkwardly, sharing enthusiasm slightly while at the same time indicating that she would like to be released now please. "Hang on, Mystik Spiral? Isn't that the band D plays on her show like, once a week? Your brother's band is _that_ Mystik Spiral?"

Jane's eyes bugged. "Um... Could you keep it under your hat Jodie? I don't want fans flocking to the Lane residence searching for Trent. I'm fairly sure he wouldn't either."

"I'll keep it quiet, but this school is practically its own gossip column, so if you start hearing about some really famous band coming to Lawndale, it will probably be about them," Jodie pointed out.

Daria cursed silently in her mind. Jane cursed out loud.

"By the way, have you sent in your college applications yet?"

"We're Boston bound," Daria said. "Yourself?"

"Well, there's the college my dad wants me to go to, and then there's the one I want to go to. If one of them would accept me, and the other reject me, there'd be no problem about me having to decide," Jodie explained.

"Life is not that kind, even to the people who deserve it," Daria said, not completely unsympathetic.

"Pretty much," Jodie said. "I'm glad your brother is back for your graduation Jane," she added before the bell rang and they had to begin their school day.

---


	9. Chapter 9

"Boston Fine Arts College?" Trent asked, having found his voice before Jesse.

Jane shrugged. "Yeah. I submitted my portfolio, and got the acceptance letter yesterday. I'm exposing myself to other artistic views," she explained.

"A little warning might have been nice," Trent commented. Jesse nodded.

"This _is_ warning. You've got all summer vacation to adjust to the fact that me and Daria will be schooling in Boston for the next few years," Jane said, eyebrow raised and arms crossed.

"What?!"

"You haven't seen Daria yet, have you? Dammit! She got accepted to RAFT. We're both moving to Boston in the fall to start our college careers. Rather than coming back to crummy old Lawndale though, we were thinking of getting our own place up there."

Trent looked like he might just break. It was great that his two favourite girls were getting out of Lawndale their own way, but he really wished their plans to leave had included him in some way as well. He was going to go through missing Daria all over again, only this time _he'd_ be the one stuck in Lawndale while _she_ was away.

"A place big enough to fit Jane's art studio, a sound-proof recording studio for the band, two bathrooms, a bunch of bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge room, the usual sort of stuff you need if you're going to try and house two girls and a four-man band," Daria said, walking through the door and catching the end of what Jane had been saying.

Trent turned around sharply at the sound of Daria's voice.

"Hey Trent," she said, smiling slightly.

Trent took two long strides and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer to him. He let his head fall into her hair and he breathed deeply.

"D for Detriment and Mystik Spiral living together in Boston?" Max asked, looking at Nick.

"Sounds cool to me," he shrugged. "We _can_ afford a place after all, and it'll be easier to act normal and stuff in Boston than here."

"Yeah, there are already rumours of an alternative style super group in Lawndale. You're going to have fans all over the Lane lawn before the summer is over if you just stay here," Daria added. "This is where you started after all, there are people who _know_ where you guys live, because you've lived here for ages."

Nick and Max looked at each other, a glimmer of fear in their eyes.

"Have you guys been home yet?" Jane asked the other members of the band. "Your letter boxes might just be over flowing with fan mail. I know I find a stack of love letters for Trent every time I check the mail."

"Boston!" yelled the drummer and keyboard player, pumping their fists in the air with a new enthusiasm.

Jane nodded. "It's settled then. This summer, we're doing some house-hunting."

---

The summer settled into a routine. Mornings were spent searching the real estate papers until the band broke off to practice at noon. During that time, Daria and Jane would go in search of food and something to talk about on the show. They would return with food and everybody would eat before Daria and Jane went to the radio station to do the hour-long show. In the afternoons, everybody broke off to do their own thing, which usually meant Max worked on the Tank, sometimes with Nick's help, sometimes not. Trent, Daria, Jane and Jesse broke off into pairs, not always with their significant other, and either went out or chilled out for the rest of the day.

Weekends they went up to Boston and checked out the houses they'd circled as possibilities in the real estate papers.

Helen hesitatingly approved, which in turn meant that Jake did. Both of Daria's parents were initially unsure about their daughter's plan to share a house with four grown men, even if Jane would be a fellow female in the house. It had taken a rather embarrassing dinner to convince them that everything would be fine. Helen and Jake met all of Mystik Spiral.

The questions had begun with the first course, and Daria had attempted to close her eyes and block it all out. She only thanked whatever deity that watched the sick tv show that was her life that Quinn had been out on a date. Daria herself sat between Trent and Nick. Jane was between Max and Jesse, while Helen took one end of the table and Jake the other.

Once the comparisons started between Mystik Spiral and the Hippie movement Helen and Jake had been a part of, Daria knew simultaneously that she did not want to be in that room, and that everything would work out just fine. Helen was just an overly concerned parent and Jake only cottoned on during the dinner, after having decided he liked _all_ the guys in the band, and not just Trent, that Daria would be living with these guys in Boston.

"Don't sweat it Daria, you're parents are cool," Nick said as he stood at the front door after dinner.

"Yeah, they were there through all that stuff back then, they can understand where we're coming from now," Max added, clapping her on the shoulder briefly.

"Think we could get some lyrics out of their history?" Jesse asked Trent absently as the band stepped through the door.

"Maybe, but we'd have to run it passed Helen first, what with her being a lawyer and all. Wouldn't want her to get us into any trouble," Trent answered.

"Hmm, yeah," Jesse said.

"See Daria, it wasn't too painful," Jane said slinging an arm around her friend's shoulders and giving a squeeze before heading out into the night and Jesse's waiting arms, waving over her own shoulder. "See ya tomorrow amiga!"

"Daria, you can relax now," Trent said quietly as he pulled her into a gentle embrace. "It's over, it wasn't painful, and the whole band thinks your parents are pretty cool, when they're talking about their youth anyway."

"I guess they have their moments," Daria conceded, leaning happily into Trent's loose hold on her.

The perfectly comfortable moment was ruined by Quinn arriving home from her date. The two separated before she reached the door, but she'd seen them smiling at each other.

"I'll see you tomorrow Daria."

"Yeah, see ya."

Trent vacated the doorway and Quinn stepped up, barely paying the musician any mind at all beyond a casual "hey," which Trent returned politely as he headed for his car.

"How was the date with your ex-tutor?" Daria asked.

"I had fun. It was just a movie really, but we talked about some really interesting stuff as well. I'm not used to this really talking to my date's thing, but I think I could get used to it," Quinn admitted. "How was dinner?"

"Embarrassing, but the end result was the one I wanted, so I guess it evens out. Thanks for not being there though."

Quinn had known about the dinner and had promptly organised a date with her almost-boyfriend-maybe. It wasn't something that had needed her presence, and she honestly didn't want to go through a formal dinner with their parents any more than Daria did. It had been mutually beneficial to the sisters.

Quinn just smiled. "We're getting better at this sisterly thing, aren't we Daria?"

"I guess we are. Too bad it's going to be interrupted by me leaving for Boston."

"Yeah. Hey, is it okay if I call you now and then, or something?" Quinn asked.

"I will need regular reports on the level of insanity our parents are reaching, and I wouldn't mind knowing how you're going generally I guess. Just no calls like with your fashion club friends."

"Agreed, and I'll get to be the one to tell Mom and Dad how you're doing, so they won't bug you for letters or try to call you themselves or anything."

"We have ourselves a deal."

---


	10. Chapter 10

Jane was nearly finished with her fine arts degree and had sold more than one original artwork already. That people were figuring out that Jane Lane was the infamous J of D for Detriment – it really helped that they'd found a way to put her art up on their website – might have had something to do with it. Maybe it should have worried Jesse that Jane would be able to make a hundred bucks by selling a pair of her panties on ebay, just because they were _hers_. Jane loved that he was able to shrug it off with just a possessive little statement like: "It's the closest they're ever going to get." Of course, he could get two hundred for a worn out pair of shoes if he'd worn them on stage.

Trent had asked them not to do that again after they'd done it the first time. It was only good for a laugh once after all. If they kept it up, it would just become stale and consumerist.

Daria was half way through her bachelor, doing it only one or two subjects a semester. She spent the rest of her time, apart from when she was doing her show, either working on her writing or being the domestic person in the house. Now and then she'd suffer this weird urge to just clean the house. Considering that most of the guys were fairly tidy in the shared living areas, and she didn't do personal rooms except for the one she co-habited with Trent, it wasn't ever too big of a job.

Mercifully, Nick and Max both knew how to cook, and took turns at it, occasionally teaching a curious third party how a certain dish was done, so they didn't live on pizza and cheese fries alone.

Quinn had visited once, the summer she'd graduated from Lawndale High. She had won a scholarship to study sociology in London. Dating her tutor hadn't worked out the way she thought it would, but it seemed to still work out for her anyway, and they'd stayed friends even though they weren't dating – something Quinn had once denied being possible between members of the opposite sex.

Considering how much she had matured since Daria had left Lawndale, she wasn't too much of an irritant for the three days she stayed. She managed to really hit it off with Nick, which was perhaps not as surprising as it could have been. The guy obviously thought about his hair after all, the way he dyed it. Jane had stood there terrified for a full minute as she watched them discussing hair care.

With Quinn's departure came the arrival of Aunt Amy, just a quick stop over, but it was the first she'd heard in some time of what was going on in Daria's life. She normally wasn't one to pry, but the opportunity had been too good to pass up.

"You're one town away from me and you couldn't tell me yourself?" she had joked when she appeared on the doorstep. "Let me in, Daria, I want to see what you've been up to all this time."

Before dinner was over, Amy had become a hands-off manager to them all, no charge. She was rich anyway, so it was a fun distraction and some bragging rights for her. The job was pretty much organising tours for the band when they needed to happen – from transport and hotel to venue and staff, the lot. They didn't need a manager when they were just writing music, and the label handled the album releases. Amy would also take care of finding places for Jane to exhibit her artwork on a regular basis, and advertising that the exhibitions were happening.

Amy even said she'd do the agent thing for Daria when her book was ready to be published, since publishing houses took authors more seriously if they had an agent, something hard to get if you weren't published already.

Jane and the band stood in awe of the woman, the one and only relative Daria believed to be cool all the time, rather than just having a rare moment like her parents. As Amy drove off, the whole band plus Jane and Daria just stared after her.

"Hey Daria," Jane said, breaking the silence as they all turned slowly back into the house. "That aunt of yours is without doubt the coolest person to come under the title of 'relative' that I have ever met. We should invite her round more often."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Don't push her Janey," Trent said quietly. "We'll get to see a lot of Amy as things are now anyway."

---

The Spiral were due for another tour, their fifth by now. They'd released more than just a couple of albums over the last three years. Jane and Daria weren't sure how they would _survive_ in the house without the guys for as long as this tour was set to take. It would just be way to quiet. Even Amy would be away, making sure everything she had organised ran smoothly.

This was essential, because this tour wasn't just of the main cities in a few states across America. Amy had organised the tour to go to a couple of other countries as well. She'd arranged for a movie to be made of the tour, and for a live album to be made in their last stop, to capture any new material they might write while they were on tour.

"Hey, why the long faces?" Amy asked. She came by often enough that she had her own key to the back door, and had just come in to find the girls staring at the TV, which was turned off.

"You and the guys all leave for the tour next week. It's gonna be real quiet without them around," Jane explained flatly.

"You didn't think I'd just leave you girls behind did you?" Amy laughed quietly.

That got their attention.

"I've already talked to the radio station, and they've agreed with me that you two are due a holiday. When I told them I wanted to take you with me on the Spiral tour, the only condition they made for such a long hiatus was that you sit down now and then, record a show, and email it to them. Oh and Jane? I hope you don't mind, but I organised for some prints to be made of some of your more 2D works, so we can sell them with the Spiral merchandise at the shows."

The two friends blinked up at Amy over the couch, turned to glance at each other and confirm that this was real, then turned back to Amy. They cracked their widest smiles simultaneously, which spawned a matching one on Amy's face.

"Get ready girls, you're about to find out what it's like to tour."

---

Trent had been waiting by the back door for Amy to show up, and when she had, he'd left after sharing a small smirk with Daria's aunt. His destination was their little secret. He'd called Helen and Jake on Amy's advice, so they knew about it. After all, Amy had told him, it concerned Daria so they would want to know.

When he got to the jewellers, he spent ten minutes looking at all the rings before he realised he wasn't going to find what he wanted here. None of these rings looked like they would suit Daria at all. Then again, she didn't really wear jewellery anyway, so picking something that would suit her was a little harder.

When he got back to the house, he caught Amy's eye and shook his head. He hadn't found a ring.

---

Every place they stopped, Trent would slip away to the nearest jewellers and search for a ring. He was very careful that Daria wouldn't notice his absences, or be suspicious if she did, going when she was being occupied by Jane or Amy, or leaving under the pretence of finding food. He'd even taken Jesse with him once, to hide that his behaviour might be anything other than normal.

It wasn't until they got to London that he found the perfect ring.

Amy had planned a little extra time in London, so the band were all out together, spread across a street full of shops, looking in various windows and sometimes ducking into doors. Daria had been just going into the book shop across the street when he'd seen the ring in the window. He'd whipped in and bought it on the spot, the ring in a box in his pocket before Daria had finished with the first lot of shelves.

He crossed the street and walked in.

"Hey Daria," he said, sliding his arms around her waist.

"Hey Trent," she answered, smiling up at him, though one hand was still resting against the spine of a book on the shelf.

"Let's you and me go out for dinner tonight."

"Alright."

---

When they climbed into the cab, Trent pulled Daria close. She was wearing that dress again. Even after all these years, she still had it, and it still looked hot on her.

"Daria, there's something I want to ask you," Trent said, pulling the little box from his pocket.

Behind her glasses, Daria's eyes grew wide.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, opening the box.

"Trent..."

"I've asked your parents before the tour started, I just wanted to find the perfect ring before I asked you."

"Yes Trent, I'll marry you."

Everything else in her life was going fine, why the hell shouldn't she say yes to the guy she loved and had been living with for three years?

---

Jane was thrilled when they told her. She'd been angling for Daria as a sister-in-law ever since she first discovered her friend's crush on her brother all those years ago.

The End


End file.
